Celtics, Spurs, Warriors Considered Favorites to Land Kevin Durant If He Leaves OKC

Though the Oklahoma City Thunder have yet to be eliminated from the postseason, speculation on Durant’s free agency won’t wait for the offseason. Apparently, if he leaves the Oklahoma City Thunder, he already has a few other places in mind, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:

The Knicks and Washington Wizards were regarded as potential candidates for Durant last summer but those clubs are rarely mentioned anymore as legitimate suitors. In fact, a source close to Durant says that the Warriors, Celtics and Spurs are now at the top of Durant’s list if he elects to sign with a team other than the Thunder.

First of all, kudos to the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards for playing so poorly they removed themselves from consideration. That was really nice of them.

Second of all, props to Durant for looping the Boston Celtics into his upcoming search. They are one of the most promising teams in the NBA and are already on the cusp of title contention. They would be an absolute terror for years to come with him in the fold.

The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, meanwhile, just make sense if Durant wants to win. The Spurs would be able to acquiesce to his isolation sets more, but he can make either situation work, provided he’s willing to buy into the passing-packed systems.

Which isn’t to say Durant is leaving the Thunder for sure.

This only becomes an issue if they don’t win a championship. And while they’re still not the favorites, their chances have improved drastically following the injuries to Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry.

Still, if they get bounced early, Durant’s free agency is going to be anything but a sure thing. And in the event he actually does leave Oklahoma City, he won’t find three better situations to land than those in Boston, Oakland and San Antonio.